WOMEN CASTE

AND REFORM
 INTRODUCTION
Till the 19th century, the condition
of Indian women was deplorable.
Their condition was pathetic,
which was manifested in various
social evils such as child
marriage, female infanticide, sati
system, etc. Let’s discuss it with
Raja Rammohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj were pioneers in
championing the emancipation of women.
Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Keshab Chandra Sen, Rabindranath Tagore,
Derozio, Begum Rokeya Shekhawat Hossain, all worked for the
emancipation of women.
• A number of women associations were formed which created social
consciousness and also voiced public opinion on certain important
issues related to women.
About two hundred years ago our society was not as it is
now. It had imposed many barriers on women. They could
not go to school, they could not marry according to their
wilt etc. In some parts of the country, sati pratha existed
and widows were praised if they chose death by burning
themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.
• The society that existed in those days was also caste-
based. People were divided along lines of caste.
Brahmans and Kshatriyas were considered as upper
caste. After them traders and moneylenders were placed.
Then came peasants and artisans. At the lowest rung
were those whose job was to keep cities and villages
clean. There were also untouchables, who were
considered inferior by the so called upper-caste people.
Things have been greatly changed now. Women are
now enjoying better position in every field. They are
getting high education, and are doing jobs after that.
Though caste-feeling is not completely rooted out, but
its intensity has been minimized considerably.
What positive changes we see in our society have not
occurred overnight. It took long years to take place.
• From the early 19th century, debates and discussions
began to take place in order to root out the evils that
had crippled our society for years. These debates
were often initiated by Indian reformers and reform
Raja Rammohun Roy was one such reformer. He founded the
Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta.

He wanted to spread Western education in the country. He advocated

for women

education. He strongly disapproved the system of sati. Many British

officials also criticised Indian traditions and customs. They supported
Raja Rammohun Roy. Finally sati pratha was banned in 1829.

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was a great social reformer. He favoured

widow re-marriage. British officials supported his cause and passed a
law in 1856 that permitted widows to re-marry. Swami Dayanand
Saraswati, founder of Arya Samaj, also supported widow re-
marriage.
• These reformers felt that in order to improve the condition of
women it was necessary to educate them. For this purpose several
schools were opened for girls by the efforts of Vidyasagar and other
People reacted sharply against sending girls to
schools. Hence, they were taught at homes
throughout the 19th century.
In aristocratic Muslim families in North India,
women learnt to read the Koran in Arabic. They
were taught by women who came home to teach.
Muslim women like the Begums of Bhopal did a lot
for the promotion of education among women.
They set up a primary school for girls at Aligarh.
• Begum Rolceya Sakhawat Hossain also opened
schools for Muslim girls in places like Patna and
By the 1880s, Indian women began to take university
education. Some of them trained to be doctors while some
became teachers. Many women began to write and publish
their critical views on the status of women in society. For
instance, Tarabai Shinde published a book named
Stripurushtulna.

Pandita Ramabai wrote a book about the pathetic condition of

upper-caste Hindu widows. She set up a widow home at Poona
in order to give shelter to widows.

Orthodox Hindus and Muslims became worried about all these

changes.
• However, women ultimately began to enjoy greater freedom.
And from the 1920s, some of them even joined various kinds
of nationalist and socialist movements.
Caste inequalities had cippled our society. Reformers made sincere
efforts to root out these evils from society. In Bombay, the
Paramhans Mandali was founded in 1840 to work for the abolition
of caste.

During the course of the 19th century, Christian missionaries

became active. They set up schools for tribal groups and lower caste
children.

But at the same time, the people from low caste, in order to get rid
of the exploitation from upper-caste, began to migrate to cities
where there was new demand for labour.
• People belonging to lower castes began to organise movements
from the second half of the 19th century against caste
discrimination. They demanded social equality and justice. In this
connection we can mention the Satnami Movement in central
India, initiated by Ghasidas who came from a low caste.
In eastern Bengal, Haridas Thakur’s Matua sect worked
among low caste Chandala cultivators. Haridas
questioned Brahmanical texts that supported the caste
system.

Jyotirao Phule, also a low-caste leader, attacked the

Brahmans, claim that they were superior to others, since
they were Aryans.

He proposed that Shudras (labouring castes) and Ati

Shudras (untouchables) should unite to fight against
caste discrimination.x
• He founded Satyashodhak Samaj that propogated
caste equality. In 1873, he wrote a book named
Gulamgiri meaning slavery. _
Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Ramaswami Naicker continued the
movement for caste reform in the 20th century.

Ambedkar belonged to a Mahar family. As a child he

experienced what caste prejudice meant in everyday life. He
remembered how he was forced to sit outside the classroom
on the ground and not allowed to drink water from taps
meant for upper-caste children. These systems were very
depressing.

In 1927, he started a temple entry movement, which was

resented by the Brahman priests.
• The non-Brahman movement began in the early 20th
century. It was initiated by qualified, and wealthy non-
Brahman castes. They challenged Brahmanical claims to
power.
E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, popularly known as Periyar, founded the Self Respect
Movement. He inspired untouehables to fight for their dignity and self-respect. He was
also a great critic of Hindi scriptures.

Several associations were established and movements started by our reformers in order to
make Indian society free from all evils. A glimpse of these associations and movements
have been given below.

The Brembo Samaj founded by Raja Rammohun Roy in 1830 to prohibit all forms of
idolatry and sacrifice.

Derozio and Young Bengal — Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, a teacher at Hindu College,
Calcutta initiated the Young Bengal Movement in the 1820s to promote radical ideas and
encourage his students to question all authority.

The Ramakrishna Mission and Vivekananda. Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna

Mission to stress the ideals of salvation through social service and selfless action.
• The Prarthana Samaj. Established in 1867 at Bombay, the Prarthana Samaj worked for
removing caste restrictions, encouraging the education of women, etc.
The Veda Samaj. It was established in 1864. It worked to abolish caste
distinctions and promote widow Remarriage and women’s education.
The Aligarh Movement. Sayyid Ahmed Khan founded the Mohammedan
Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 at Aligarh. It later became famous as the
Aligarh Muslim University. The institution offered modern education. It is
known as the Aligarh Movement.
• The Singh Sabha Movement. This movement sought to free Sikhism from
superstitions, caste distinctions and practices seen by them as non-Sikh.
 IMPORTANT KEY
WORDS
Sati: It means virtuous women. These women chose death by burning
themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.

Untouchable: Untouchables were considered to be the lowest by the upper-

caste people. They were denied entry in temples, restaurants, etc.

Gulamgiri: A book written by Jyotirao Phule. It means slavery.

Stripurushtulna: A book published-by Tarabai Shinde. It means a

comparison between women and men.

Conservative: Those who want to stick to old traditions and customs and
oppose new changes.
• Suffrage: The right to vote.
 TIMELINE
1772-1833 – Raja Rammohun Roy brought a lot
reformations in the Indian society during this period.
1829 – Sati was banned.
1856 – A law was passed to permit widow remarriage.
1875 – The Arya Samaj was founded.
1929 – The Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed.
• 1927-1935 – Ambedkar led three temple entry
movements between this period.
NAME :- SAKINA CHECHAT
WALA
CLASS :- VIII C
SUBJECT :- SOCIAL SCIENCE
ROLL NO. :- 878
SCHOOL :- ABN